"You're going to be my present and my future. You're going to hold all my babies because I'm going to be the lucky man to marry you. You're going to love me again, Maryam Khan. Slowly and then all together. And I will watch you as you do."
Imran and...
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"Kiya mast mare malum Nasir ko us humlan, abababababababah! Leather jackets dalle ke, bikes pe gaye uske ghar ko. Khali awaaz diye 'Nasir' bolke, aur jab gate ke baher pair rakha, hath pakde, kheech liyea apni taraf aur bike pe bithaliyea piche. Ab kyunki raat ka waqt tha, road pe koi zyada tha nahi. Paas ke volleyball ground me leke gaye, Fahad bhaiya, Talha aur main milke ghap ghip ghap ghip ghap ghip, offfoooo! Main kya kara boleto lubber ki chappal dal leke, wo diya, wo diya, poocho nakko. Phir apne Master Sheefu ko kheecha, tu bhi do teen bhairiyan rakhde bolke. Aapke bhai bichara ek rakhe, 'abbahhhhhh' bolke hath pakard leke baithgaye. Bache main air bhaiya, khali diye. Poori dukan tordiyea Nasir ki."
"Main bhi mara na re, kyu aysa bolra?" Talha interceded.
"Bhot mare aap. Itna mare k khud hath tordliyea apna."
"laatan mara usko, haath tootne ke baad bhi. Ruka nahi bhai ke qatir."
"Bohot yaarana lagta hai, nai?"
"Chal!" They continued to argue while I sat there unfazed in my own trance staring at my feet that felt paralyzed as a result of all the inactivity.
I try and wiggle my toes under the sheets, I felt it move but jitung changed visibly. The news that nurse broke when I first woke up suddenly ringed in my ears. I am paralyzed waist down.
For a couple of moments, I warn start to panic thinking about how I'd walk, how I'd run, how I'd play with my kids whenever you are blessed by them, how will I drive a car or ride a bike. Heck, how would function in bed when I am imposed with a technical issue? I had the sheet clutched in my hand as I imagined myself struggling to even use the bathroom.
Suddenly, my mind decides to work. It reminds me that the paralyzed thing was a sick joke. None of it is true. I can move, I can walk, I can run, I can drive. I don't have a technical issue imposed by life and can still rock the bed.
My hand lets go of the sheets, and I relax a bit. Leaning my back on the very comfortable headboard, I sign.
"Imran," Arbaz's voice seemed to reach my ears.
"Haan," I prompt him to continue.
"Wo, uh. . ." He hesitates.
I give Talha a raised brow before turning to look at him again. "Kya hua?"
"Yaaro wo. . .tumhari bike. . ."
"What about it?"
"It's umm. . ." He trailed off.
"What happened?" I ask more sternly.
"They damaged it pretty bad." Arbaaz admitted.
"But, I remember him only smashing the headlights with a hockey stick--"
